Sight Reading & Rhythm Every Day®, Book 1B: Piano Book

This book takes the intimidation out of sight reading by building it incrementally rather than all at once. Students gain fluency with the most common time signatures and interval patterns before moving forward, which means they actually retain what they practice instead of forgetting it by next week.

Straightforward and purposeful. Each day builds on the previous one without pretension; the focus is entirely on what students need to know to read music fluently and confidently.

Early elementary piano students who need systematic daily work in reading and rhythm skills. Teachers who want a structured curriculum rather than piecemeal exercises scattered across multiple books.

• Rotate through different guide notes (middle C, treble G, treble C, bass C) in the same practice session rather than spending a full week on one. This reinforces interval thinking across the entire keyboard.
• Pair the time signature work with a metronome, starting at a tempo where students can count confidently without rushing. Accuracy builds automaticity.
• Use the pattern identification exercises as a quick warm-up before tackling unfamiliar pieces; students will recognize similar rhythmic shapes in their regular repertoire.
• Have students verbalize articulations and dynamics before playing them. Saying "staccato, light" or "legato, soft" creates a mental bridge between notation and sound.

Make this your daily sight reading tool throughout the year, spending 5 to 10 minutes on it before diving into repertoire lessons. Early elementary students benefit from the consistent, predictable structure, especially when they're juggling multiple new pieces at once.

• Key and time signature identification
• Counting rhythms in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4
• Interval recognition from guide notes (middle C, treble G, treble C, bass C)
• Pattern identification in melodic and rhythmic sequences
• Quick recognition and execution of articulations and dynamics